Fusako Sano is a Japanese woman who was kidnapped at the age of nine by Nobuyuki Sato and held captive for nine years and two months, from November 13, 1990, until January 28, 2000.

The disappearance on November 13, 1990

On the afternoon of November 13, 1990, after spending time playing with her friends, Fusako Sano set off home by herself. Given that violence rates in Japan are usually low, it was not unusual for a 9-year-old girl to return home alone. However, Fusako did not come back. Her parents, worried, contacted the police, but years went by without any information about her whereabouts.

What happened?

Nobuyuki Sato, 28 years old, saw her walking alone and late, and forced Fusako to get into his car, where he threatened to kill her if she did not do everything he said. Frightened, she was taken to the second floor of Sato's house. Only Sato and his mother lived in the house, but she only used the first floor, as the second floor (where Sato slept) was difficult to access; it was left unfinished after Sato complained that workers were bringing in germs. There, he kept Fusako captive for the next nine years and two months.

The time in captivity

During the course of the nine years, Sato subjected Fusako to various forms of torture. He raped her, beat her, psychologically abused her; gave her one meal a day, forced her to use a bag to relieve herself because the second floor had no bathroom; and when he was very bored, he electrocuted her with a stun gun to see how much she could endure. Fusako later revealed that she fragmented her personality so that it was another "self" that felt the pain, not her. He also tied her up at night so she could not escape or make noise.

January 28, 2000 and Nobuyuki Sato's Background

Sato's elderly mother contacted social services: her son had started behaving aggressively towards her, physically assaulting her. The mother requested that social workers visit their house, which finally happened on January 28, 2000. It turned out that the door to Fusako's room had not been locked for nine years, but she had been too scared to try to escape. In addition, malnutrition and leg problems that limited her mobility also prevented her from escaping.

It was discovered that Nobuyuki Sato had already attempted to kidnap a girl before, but it was not recorded in his criminal record nor did it have consequences, nor was it taken into account during the investigations nine years ago.

During the trial, Sato's mother was taken as a witness and not as an accomplice, as she claimed that she never went up to the second floor of the house out of fear of her son. Her fingerprints were also not found in Sato's room. Sato's lawyers argued mental health problems and that he was not conscious of what he was doing, but the allegation was dismissed and Sato received a sentence of 9 years for the kidnapping of Fusako. He died in his apartment in 2017, at the age of 53, with an undetermined cause of death.

Fusako Sano was left with severe consequences and with the mentality of a nine-year-old.